Material handling apparatus



Jan. 7, .1964

Filed June 28, 1960 VAl/VO J. HOLOPA/NEN INVEN TOR.

BY /l MK ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,llh,8d Patented Jan. F, 1964 3,116,845 MATEHAL HANDLING APPARATUS Vain-o .l. liolopaiucn, Rutland, Wilma, assignor to Wain- Qcrporation, Huhbardston, Mass, a corporation of Massachusetts Filed .lune 2t llfidti, Eaer. No. 3%,354 7 (Iiairns. ((Il. 214-145) T his invention relates to material handling apparatus and more particularly to apparatus arranged to be attached to tractor for excavation operations.

In the art of material handling and particularly that relating to earth excavation, it is common practice to make use of a so-called hydraulic backhoe, the most common type of which consists of a boom pivoted to the rear of the tractor for movement in a vertical as Well as a horizontal plane, a dipper stick pivotally attached to the outer end of the boom, and a bucket pivotally attached to the lower end or" the dipper stick. A boom cylinder is usually provided to bring about vertical swinging of the boom, a swing cylinder is provided to swing the boom and the apparatus about a vertical pivot, a dipper stick cylinder is used to rotate the dipper stick relative to the boom, and a bucket cylinder is provided to rotate the bracket relative to the dipper stick. The range of operations that are available by use of this well-known apparatus is somewhat limited because a bucket arranged as a backhoe cannot be used as a shovel or as a clamshell without extensive changes and certainly cannot be used for all three uses at the same time. These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art devices have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.

lt is, therefore, an outstanding object of the invention to provide a material handling apparatus of the hydraulic backhoe type wherein the range of operations is greatly extended.

Another object of this invention is the provision of the material handling apparatus which may be used for refuse handling, incinerator feeding, backfilling, gutter cleaning, the excavation of ditches, tank holes, basements, pools, and so forth, gandola and ore boat unloading, railroad bed maintenance, and landscaping.

A further object of the present invention is the provision of a material handling apparatus which may be used either as a backhoe or a shovel at any time without any adjustment or changes in the apparatus.

It is another object of the instant invention to provide a material handling apparatus which may be used either as a clamshell bucket, a backhoe, or a shovel.

it is a further object of the invention to provide a material handling apparatus for attachement to the dipper stick of a hydraulic backhoe which apparatus is capable of alternate use as a backhoe, shovel, or clamshell bucket without changing apparatus.

With these and other objects in vie-w, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto.

The character of the invention, however, may be best understood by reference to one of its structural forms, as illustrated by the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective View of a material handling apparatus embodying the principles of the present invention; and

FIG. 2 is a side view of the apparatus.

The material handling apparatus, designated generally by the reference numeral w, is shown as being attached to an arm 11 which is shown as the dipper stick of a hydraulic backhoe of the type shown in the patent to H010- painen No. 2,698,697, which issued on January 4, 1955. The apparatus ltl comprises a junction member 12, which is a somewhat elongated structure pivotally attached at one end to the lower end of the arm 11 and having connected to a first hydraulic actuator '13, which is shown as the bucket cylinder of the hydraulic backhoe of which the arm 11 is a part. 'FiXed to the junction member 12 is a first bucket 14- and pivotally connected to the other end of the junction member 12 is a second bucket 15. A second hydraulic actuator 16 is shown joining the two buckets to permit rapid adjustment of their relative positions and to pivot the bucket 15 relative to the junction member 12. The junction member 12 is pivoted at one end to the arm 11 by a heavy hinge pin 17 at the other end it is attached by a hinge pin 18 to one end of a link member 19, the other end of which is pivotally attached to two links 21 and 22; the other ends of the links 21 and 22 being pivotally attached by a hinge pin 23 to the arm 11 at a position considerably removed therealong from the hinge pin 17. The link member 19 and the links 21 and 22 are hinged together, as has been stated, by means of a hinge pin 24 to which is pivotally attached the piston rod of the first hydraulic actuator 13 (the cylinder of the actuator not being shown in order to simplify the illustration). The bucket 14 is substantially fixed to the junction member 12. by welding and is provided with an ear 25 extending upwardly from the upper part thereof. The ear is considerably spaced from the adjacent side of the junction member 12 and a hinge pin 26 extends between the two. One end of the second hydraulic actuator 16 is pivotally attached on the hinge pin 26 and the other end, which is shown as the piston rod end, is provided with a hinge pin 27 which not only extends through the other end of the second hydraulic actuator 16 but also through two cars 28 and 29 which extend upwardly from the bucket 15. A similar pair of ears 3 1 and 32 extend upwardly from the other side of the bucket on the other side of the junction member 12. It will be understood that our load is not shown in the drawing; there is another second hydraulic actuator 16 residing on the other side of the junction member 12 and being pivotally attached between the ears 31 and 32. A hinge pin 33 extends between the ears 2% and 32 and constitutes the pivotal connection between the bucket 15 and the junction member 12. The second hydraulic actuator 16 is joined by flexible conduits 34 and 35 to a source of hydraulic fluid and control valving (not shown), the other hydraulic actuator being provided similarly with conduits 36 and 36, the two second hydraulic actuators being connected to operate together. The first bucket 14 is shown as having a generally triangular side 37, a similar side 3% parallel and spaced to it, and a curved bottom 41. The upper ends of the sides 38 and 39 are joined by the strong cross beam 42 to which the car 25 is attached and which is attached to the junction member 12. Similarly, the second bucket 15 is provided with two sides 4-3 and 44 joined by a curved bottom 45. A cross beam 46 joins the two sides together opposite the bottom 45 and it is to this cross beam that I attach the ears 28, 29, 31 and 32. The edges of the bottoms 38 and 45 which face away from one another are provided with teeth 47. In the sense of having sides and a bottom the buckets 14 and 15 are similar to conventional buckets, but in one respect they are different; they are not provided with back walls. As is evident in FIG. 2, the edges of the sides are capable of contacting one another and, since there are no end walls, the buckets are in communication with one another.

The operation of the apparatus will now be readily understood in view of the above description. It can be seen that, by actuating the second hydraulic actuator 16, it is possible to determine the relative arrangement of the buckets 14 and 15. When the piston rod of the cylinder 16 is extended, the buckets are arranged together, as shown in FIG. 2. In this situation, they may be used either to shovel in the direction of the teeth of the bucket 15, or as a backhoe in the direction of the teeth of the bucket 14-. This type of actuation can take place by the usual actuation of the hydraulic backhoe apparatus and the arm 11, combined with the actuation provided by the first hydraulic actuator 13, provides an articulation of both buckets about the hinge pin 17. As a matter of fact, the first hydraulic actuator 13 serves to rotate the junction member 12 about the hinge pin 17 and the buckets l4 and 15 move along with the junction member. The cylinder 16 is used to determine the position of the buckets 1 and 15 relative to the junction member 12. It is possiblc, for instance, with the buckets in the position shown in FIG. 2, to use it as a shovel di ging in the direction of the bucket 15 and then to swing the entire apparatus to dump into a truck parked beside the tractor, the dumping taking place through the bucket 14. By alternately shoveling and backhoeing a body of material, it is possible to break it up to permit it to be handled more easily. If it is desirable to grasp the material in the manner of a clamshell, this may be done merely by actuating the cylinder 16 while the apparatus is in contact with the material and the buckets are in open position. The movement of the bucket 15 toward the bucket 14 produces a clamping or pinching action which will permit it to lift loose material or to lift boulders which cannot be picked up by shoveling or backhoeing.

It is obvious that minor changes may be made in the form and construction of the invention without departing from the material spirit thereof. t is not, however, desired to confine the invention to the exact form herein shown and described, but it is desired to include all such as properly come within the scope claimed.

The invention having been thus described, what is claimed as new and desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Material handling apparatus, comprising an arm adapted to be attached at one end to a vehicle, an elongated junction member pivoted at one end to the other end of the arm, a first hydraulic actuator operatively connected between the arm and the other end of the member for causing relative pivotal movement therebetween, a first bucket fixedly atached to the said one end of the member, a second bucket pivotally attached to the said other end of the member, and a second hydraulic actuator connected between the first bucket and the second bucket and serving to bring about pivotal action thereof relative to the said member, the buckets having cutting edges which face away from one another and are located on portions of the buckets which are never in juxtaposition.

2. Material handling apparatus, comprising an arm adapted to be attached at one end to a vehicle, a junction member pivoted to the other end of the arm, a first hydraulic actuator operatively connected between the arm and the member for causing relative pivotal movement therebetween, a first bucket fixedly attached to the member, a second bucket pivotally attached to the member at a portion thereof substantially removed from the portion to which the first bucket is attached, and a second hydraulic actuator connected to the second bucket and serving to bring about pivotal action thereof relative to the said member, the buckets each having two sides and a bottom and being substantially open both on the portions which face one another and on the portions which face away from one an ther, the buckets lying in juxtaposition at one extremity of movement of the said bucket to form a single bucket, the buckets having cutting edges which face away from one another and are located on portions of the buckets which are never in juxtaposition.

3. Material handling apparatus, comprising an arm adapted to be attached at one end to a vehicle, a junction member pivoted to the other end of the arm, a first hydraulic actuator operatively connected between the arm and the member for causing relative pivotal movement therebetween, a first bucket fixedly attached to the member, a second bucket pivotally attached to the member at a portion thereof substantially removed from the portion to which the first bucket is attached, and a second hydraulic actuator connected to the second bucket and serving to bring about pivotal action thereof relative to the said member, each bucket having two circular segmental sides with their apices joined by a cross beam and the arcuate periphery joined by a curved bottom, the cross beam of the first bucket being attached to the member, the cross beam of the second bucket having a pair of ears by which it is attached by a pivot to the member, one or" the ears extending beyond the pivot away from the remainder of bucket and having the second hydraulic actuator attached thereto, the buckets having cutting edges which face away from one another and are located on portions of the buckets which are never in juxtaposition.

4. Material handling apparatus, comprising an arm adapted to be attached at one end to a vehicle, an elongated junction member pivoted at one end to the other end of the arm, a first hydraulic actuator operatively connected between the arm and the other end of the member for causing relative pivotal movement therebetween, a first bucket fixedly attached to the said one end of the member, a second bucket pivotally attached to the said other end of the member, and a second hydraulic actutaor connected between the first bucket and the second bucket and serving to bring about pivotal action thereof relative to the said member, the buckets each having two sides and a bottom and being substantially open both on the portions which face one another and on the portions which face away from one another, the buckets lying in juxtaposition at one extremity of movement of the second bucket to form a single bucket, the buckets having cutting edges which face away from one another and are located on portions of the buckets which are never in juxtaposition.

5. Material handling apparatus, comprising an arm adapted to be attached at one end to a vehicle, a junction member pivoted to the other end of the arm, a first hydraulic actuator operatively connected between the arm and the member for causing a relative pivotal movement therebetween, a first bucket fixedly attached to the member, a second bucket pivotally attached to the member at a portion thereof substantially removed from the portion to which the first bucket is attached, and a second hydraulic actuator connected to the second bucket and serving to bring about pivotal action thereof relative to the said member, the buckets each having two sides and a bottom and being substantially open both on the portions which face one another and on the portions which face away from one another, the buckets lying in juxtaposition at one extremity of movement of the second bucket to form a single bucket, the sides of the buckets being circular segmental form with their apices joined by a cross beam and the bottom joining the arcuate peripheries, the cross beam f the first bucket being attached to the member, the cross beam of the second bucket having a pair of cars by which it is attached by a pivot to the member, one of the ears extending beyond the pivot away from the remainder of the bucket and having the second hydraulic actuator attachec thereto, the buckets having cutting edges which face away from one another and are located on portions of the buckets which are never in juxtaposition.

6. Material handling apparatus, compr' ng an arm adapted to be attached at one end to a vehicle, an elongated junction member pivoted at one end to the other end of the arm, a first hydraulic actuator opcratively connected between the arm and the other end of the member for causing relative pivotal movement therebetween, a first bucket fixedly attached to the said one end of the member, a second bucket pivotally attached to the said other end of the member, and a second hydraulic actuator connected between the first bucket and the second bucket and serving to bring about pivotal acill tion thereof relative to the said member, each bucket having two circular segmental sides with their apices joined by a cross beam and the arcuate periphery joined by a curved bottom, the cross beam of the first bucket being attached to the member, the cross beam of the second bucket having a pair of ears by which it is attached by a pivot to the member, one of the ears extending beyond the pivot away from the remainder of the bucket and having the second hydraulic actuator attached thereto, the buckets having cutting edges which face away from one another and are located on portions of the buckets which are never in juxtaposition,

7. Material handling apparatus, comprising an arm adapted to be attached at one end to a vehicle, an elongated junction member pivoted at one end to the other end of the arm, a first hydraulic actuator operatively connected between the arm and the other end of the member for causing relative pivotal movement therebetween, a first bucket fixedly attached to the said one end of the member, a second bucket pivotally attached to the said other end of the member, and a second hydraulic actuator connected between the first bucket and the second bucket and serving to bring about pivotal action thereof relative to the said member, each having two sides and a bottom and being substantially open both on the portions which face one another and on the portions which face away from one another, the buckets lying in juxtaposition at one extremity of movement of the said second bucket to form a single bucket, the sides of the buckets being circular segmental in form with their apices joined by a cross beam and the arcuate peripheries joined by a curved bottom, the buckets having cutting edges which face away from one another and are located on portions of the buckets which are never in juxtaposition, the cross beam of the first bucket being attached to the member, the cross beam of the second bucket having a pair of ears by which it is attached by a pivot to the member, one of the ears extending beyond the pivot away from the remainder of the bucket and having the second hydraulic actuator attached thereto.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 469,728 Van Patten Mar. 1, 1892 548,242 Wood et al Oct. 22, 1895 669,446 Morris Mar. 5, 1901 2,622,915 Horn Dec. 23, 1952 2,828,038 Dorkins Mar. 25, 1958 FOREIGN PATENTS 858,673 Germany July 8, 1949 

1. MATERIAL HANDLING APPARATUS, COMPRISING AN ARM ADAPTED TO BE ATTACHED AT ONE END TO A VEHICLE, AN ELONGATED JUNCTION MEMBER PIVOTED AT ONE END TO THE OTHER END OF THE ARM, A FIRST HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR OPERATIVELY CONNECTED BETWEEN THE ARM AND THE OTHER END OF THE MEMBER FOR CAUSING RELATIVE PIVOTAL MOVEMENT THEREBETWEEN, A FIRST BUCKET FIXEDLY ATTACHED TO THE SAID ONE END OF THE MEMBER, A SECOND BUCKET PIVOTALLY ATTACHED TO THE SAID OTHER END OF THE MEMBER, AND A SECOND HYDRAULIC ACTUATOR CONNECTED BETWEEN THE FIRST BUCKET AND THE SECOND BUCKET AND SERVING TO BRING ABOUT PIVOTAL ACTION THEREOF RELATIVE TO THE SAID MEMBER, THE BUCKETS HAVING CUTTING EDGES WHICH FACE AWAY FROM ONE ANOTHER AND ARE LOCATED ON PORTIONS OF THE BUCKETS WHICH ARE NEVER IN JUXTAPOSITION. 